Gather threads and thoughts

Crowning glory: A headpiece made by Hadley Westwood using New Zealand flax and sycamore seeds.

Manning Regional Art Gallery will inspire visitors to explore their own personal responses to fibres and textiles when the 'Gathering Threads' exhibition launches on Thursday August 16.

The exhibition brings together a broad range of creative and innovative approaches from six artists in the form of installations, wall pieces, constructed textiles, sculptural objects and mixed media works - with the common thread being an invitation to the viewer to examine their own response to the symbolism in each artwork.

"Fibre has the power to hold memories, evoke past experiences and initiate conversations about the divide between craft and art.

These fibre and textile artists share similar inspirations from their everyday surroundings, from nature and the landscape, whether in the form of the materials we use, the forms we create or the subject matter itself," said acting art gallery director Jane Hosking.

Hadley Westwood’s series of beanies were inspired by photographs of life in Antarctica, taken by scientist, David Waterhouse.

She has created images of wildlife, buildings and landscapes in these intricate designs, which will be donated to the crew at Mawson Station in 2019.

Faye Collier uses hand printing techniques to portray her fascination with faces, focusing on her fellow artists for this series of artworks.

The face prints have been fashioned into ‘Coats’ which talk about the individuality of each artist.

Local flora and plant-life have been the inspiration for Pat Land’s ‘Cyclic’ series of artworks and installations.

Sinuous vines, leave, trunks and lichens have been recreated with a wide range of materials to investigate the eternal cycle of nature.

Using familiar fabric pieces to explore her personal experiences of memory, perception and learning, Kathleen Soper combines printing, dyeing and embroidery in her works.

Each piece could be a landscape or a precious memory keepsake.

Sculptural works by Pat Davidson explore refuge as an illusion; an enclosed space which implies safety, but which may fail or even create restraint.

Jana Pearceova’s art has evolved from her ongoing interest in textile traditions, including her Slovak heritage.

Her works evolve from the collecting of found objects and combining them with textile fragments and threads to create marks and stories.

The exhibition runs from Thursday 16 August until Sunday September 30, with an official opening event on Saturday August 18 at 2pm. The opening is a free event and everyone's welcome to attend.

To see more information on the many exciting events and exhibitions at the Gallery visit our website, manningregionalartgallery.com.au and follow us on Facebook.